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This summer brought the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the invasion in Normandy. We wanted to visit Omaha Beach and the American cemetery before we moved back to the States, but we also knew that we didn’t want to be there on the 70th anniversary. Yikes! I can just imagine the traffic jams on those little winding French roads.

I have to tell you that I’ve been trying to organize my thoughts on this post for days. What do you say about a battlefield that has been portrayed in so many films and documentaries? What will honor the memory of the tens of thousands, soldiers and civilians, who died there? All I can do is tell you about our experience, and I know it will come up short.

We spent a couple of nights at Pierre & Vacanes Residence Omaha Beach, apartments right along the course at the Omaha Beach Golf Club. It was a perfect location — so convenient for a round of golf. For our non-golfing Dutch neighbors in the the next apartment, the swimming pool made it perfect for their first vacation with their 1-year old daughter.

The first evening, we walked down to the clubhouse and had a few drinks. As we sat on the patio, with a all of the Allied flags flying and a view of the water in the distance, it felt kind of strange to be kicking back and relaxing at the site of such a hard-fought, historical battle. Even here, a few miles from the official cemeteries and memorials, Ed and I both felt a sense of the lives lost here. It was something you feel in your heart. If you know me, I’m a big advocate for free markets and commerce, but this seemed a little sacrilegious — something akin to building a Six Flags at Gettysburg (there isn’t one). Don’t get me wrong. The golf club is lovely. It fits in with the countryside, and is subdued with golf holes being named after famous generals, complete with flags, monuments, and Nazi machine gun bunkers. Ed said he could spot the locals. They were the ones just playing golf and not taking lots of pictures along the way. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be there; it just felt strange.

The American Cemetery and Memorial at Omaha Beach is just one of many military cemeteries in Normandy. There are 14 British and Canadian cemeteries, and the Langannerie-Urville Polish War Cemetery contains the graves of 650 Polish soldiers killed in the Battle of Normandy.

The American Cemetery contains the remains of 9,387 military members, air crews who were shot down over France as well as those who died during the Normandy invasion and subsequent battles. Not all of our war dead are buried here. After the war, the families were able to choose to have their loved ones remain in an overseas cemetery or repatriated for permanent burial in the United States. Buried here are two sons of US President Teddy Roosevelt and the Niland brothers (the film, Saving Private Ryan, was loosely based on their story.)

The Memorial, with carved granite, bronze statues, and reflecting pools, faces the United States. The land, for the memorial and cemetery, like others from World War I and World War II, was granted to the US by France without any charge or tax. After recent conversations with the locals while we were in France, I think these cemeteries may be the only things in France that aren’t taxed, and I guess that says something. American flags fly over them.

Reims, the largest city in the Champagne region of France is famous for their Notre-Dame (Our Lady) cathedral. Kings of France were crowned here. Joan of Arc was instrumental in the coronation of a King Charles VII here in 1429, two years before the she died at the young age of 19. Earlier this year, religious artist, Greg Tricker had an exhibit of 33 pieces of related to Joan of Arc. This stained was still on display when we visited.

I passed through Reims on a train trip through France back in the 1970s. I remember only two things from that trip. The smiling angel outside the cathedral. The fact that in my hotel, the toilet was down the hall and the shower downstairs. We had nicer accommodations this trip in an extended stay hotel with kitchenette AND bathroom.

I learned on this trip that the angels’ smile isn’t the only thing unusual in the photo above. These three angels have have their wings open and that is as rare as her smile. The grand cathedral was damaged in WW I and restoration work continues to this day.

We did some champagne shopping near the cathedral. Caves des Sacres has wines from large and small champagne houses. We bought a variety of labels and price points, including a Bollinger, just because it’s what James Bond drinks. The nice thing about this shop is that if you buy at least six bottles, they offer free delivery to your hotel. That was quite a selling point for us. If we’d had to lug it around and schlep it back on the bus, one bottle would have been out limit. They are very knowledgeable about the wines, unfortunately, we are not particularly knowledgeable shoppers. The expert did confirm one thing I have suspected. In the wine business when they call a wine “fruity,” what that really means is sour.

The area is also known for Biscuit rose de Reims. The French and lighter version of a biscotti, this twice baked cookie is meant for dipping in champagne. It’s sturdy enough not to crumble in your drink. We bought some at Maison Fossier, who have been making this treat since 1756. For those of you who are cookie buffs, like I am, the biscuit definitely had that twice baked feel of biscotti, but the texture was very fine and delicate, closer to a macaron or meringue than an Italian biscotti.

Our hotel was on the outskirts of the city, so we rode the bus into the city center. You buy your tickets from the bus drivers, who were all very friendly and helpful — one even getting out the bus at our last stop to offer explanations on the schedule and shake our hands while wishing us au revoir. One hour will run you 1.60 euro; looking back, we should have gotten the all day ticket. It’s fun to do things that give us a feel for what it’s like to live in a city, so I’m glad we had a reason to take the bus. It seemed like we were the only non-locals.

It was a quick but fun visit. Buckle up, next stop Normandy and Omaha Beach. 🙂

I’ve had a very good life. I have parents who weren’t afraid to take chances, and I married a man with a boundless sense of adventure. Both have left me feeling that it’s good to try new things. At Amanda’s (Expat Life With a Double Buggy) urging, I’ve created an expat reverse bucket list – taken stock of all the things I’ve done and accomplished since Ed and I began our expat journey in Poland.

As exciting as all of this has been, you know what it’s left me thinking? That there is so much of my own country that I haven’t seen. This could quickly turn into a Bucket List, but that’s not the intention. Join me as I remissness about the things I’ve done since moving to Poland. I hope it will inspire you to look for and appreciate adventures where ever you may be.

Eaten at Poland’s first and only Michelin starred restaurant

Zipped around Paris on a Segway

Become adept at taking public transportation

Attended the international mass at Notre Dame on Easter Day

Learned to cook countless Polish recipes

Driven through the Alps

Toured the Pilsner Urquell brewery

Learned to love rillettes in the Loire Valley

Made many new friends, Polish and other expats from all over the globe

Met so many nice people through my blog – some virtually, some in person

Been interviewed multiple time by Polish media

Eaten smalec

Served as a Host City volunteer during Euro 2012

Taken up bicycling again after a 15 year hiatus

Spent a month in a Polish hospital, at my husband’s bedside, so thankful to say he survived sepsis

Learned a lot of history

Seen new wildlife – a hedgehog, hares, a wild boar, and storks

Have found a favorite wine bar in Munich

Been to the top of the TV tower in Berlin

Found out that it takes me about 24 hours to get home in an emergency

Had my wallet stolen in Krakow’s Stary Rynek

Watched Hertha Berlin play in the historic Olympic Stadium

Learned a lot about European football

Fallen asleep to the sound of the Spree River

Lost 20 pounds, post-menopause!

Cycled through the English Garden in Munich

Been annoyed by the bad service at the Haufbrauhaus

Been to the Baltic Sea

Eaten blood sausage

With Ed’s help, collected enough airline miles to upgrade to business class, once!

Seen the famous Danube

Made flavored vodkas

Dined al fresco in Prague with a view of the Charles Bridge

Climbed to the top of the Berliner Dom

Saw Paul McCartney perform in Warsaw

Check out what some other expats have to say about their time abroad via the link below. What would you put on your reverse bucket list???

Add this to your list of things to do in Berlin: Markthalle Neun! It’s a huge indoor market, filled with produce, flowers, ready to eat food, real food, and interesting hard to find food. I can’t think of another farmer’s market where I’ve come across truffle in honey.

My friend Chris, a chef who used to live in Berlin, suggested Markthale Neun to me while we were at the one-year anniversary celebration for Voyager Wine Bar. He knew that as someone who is adventurous about food, I would love it, and he was right. Before I move on to the market and our trip to Berlin, let me take to say the wines we sampled at Voyager were some of the best I’ve ever tasted and reasonably priced. (This is not a sponsored post, just fact IMHO.)

Chris mentioned some of the history behind the market, but with wines, tapas, and people coming and going, we didn’t get into great detail. I did however, find the story on this great blog about Berlin, The Needle: Sharp on Berlin. The market is called “number IX” because it was one of 14 located around Berlin in the late 1800s. Some of the markets were destroyed during World War II; some have been transformed into massive, modern supermarkets. Markthalle Neun has not been restored and sat empty for many years until 2009 when efforts began to bring it back to life.

It’s now an integral part of the Kreuzberg area in Berlin. On Thursdays, it’s open in the evening and is packed with crowds who are there to sample a huge variety of street foods from all over the world. According to one of the vendors I spoke with, it’s loud, it’s hip, be prepared to queue up.

On Friday and Saturday, the market is open during the day and is more of a traditional farmers market. Let me take you on my loop through the market, doing my part for the local economy. 😉

My first stop was to buy preserves, one a plum-chutney with ginger, the other a raspberry, strawberry, lemon balm fruit spread. I didn’t think to look for a business card at this stand, but the young woman working there said the owners have a small farm in the north of Germany and make the products, for the most part, with things they grow.

I visited Monschein Berlin, who offer a selection of all things pumpkin, pumpkin oil, pumpkin pesto, pumpkin seeds in eight different flavors, pumpkin orange marmalade, pumpkin nut biscuits, and even pumpkin chili. I opted for a jar of pumpkin pesto. Can’t wait to use it!

Next, I sampled two olive olives from Greece. Not sure how far my euros would go or how much weight I would have in my shopping bag, I gave the young man behind the counter the line my daughter and I hear so often when we’re working the farmers market with our biscotti, “Let me think about it.” He replied, “no problem,” as he pulled out his glass of wine and took a sip. I had to ask, “you get to drink wine while you’re working the market?” “Of course, why not?” was his response. I told him I thought it was a great idea. Now, I have to rethink my complaint about there being too many rules in Germany. In case you’re wondering, there is a vendor selling wine. Be prepared to leave a deposit for the glass. I returned and picked up a small bottle of their milder oil before I left.

At Küchenliebe, a booth with kitchen wares, I bought a Brandenburg Gate cookie cutter. Our daughter is finishing a degree in German this spring. I can see some Berlin themed cookies being part of the celebration. They have a storefront besides their market stall. From the website, I see they carry many cute things beside kitchen goodies. I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in town.

A sign reading Trüffelen and More caught my eye. I’m linking you to some fascinating photos on the market’s facebook page about the truffle process because as I write this, their website is under construction. Maybe if you check back later, you’ll be able to get information straight from the source. I had a nice chat with the lady behind the counter, and sampled truffle mixed with many things. Our conversation was aided in part by translation from my fellow food blogger, Melanie, of Mango Soul, who was visiting the truffle booth after recently posting a recipe with Trüffelen and More ingredients. Melanie, a pescetarian, writes about food and travel. You’ll want to check out her blog! I left with small jars of honey with truffle and porcini mushrooms with truffle.

I finished off my visit to Market, by stopping by Berlin Beef Balls, to get some takeaway. These are delicious meatballs, using the traditional German boulette for their starting point, then other varieties are created with spices. I had a nice chat with one of the owners as he prepared an assortment for me to take back to the hotel to share with Ed. I took mine plain, but you can also get an herb potato salad on the side. Besides selling at the market, they do catering. When we had dinner in the hotel dinning room that night, Ed ordered a burger and the meat paled in comparison to the beef balls that we had for our afternoon snack.

I spent a fun hour, shopping and chatting, but there were still so many vendors that I didn’t get to visit. We’ll have to make another trip! When we got back to Poznan and unloaded all of these new treasures, Ed, who is very supportive and patient with my mad scientist in the kitchen alter-ego, asked “what are we going to do with these things?”

Watch for recipes with interesting new ingredients!

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve picked up at a farmer’s market?

They’ve been working on the train station for a few years, making improvements, adding a shopping mall. We haven’t been in the mall yet, but we got a totally new view of the station from the tram tonight. I had always wondered about the pattern and very dull looking gray panels of glass – couldn’t really see what it added to the design. . . now I get it.

Can I ask a favor? How about giving the video a thumbs up on facebook or subscribing to the channel? Coming soon – Polish cooking videos!

Let me take you on a quick photo/video summary of our trip to Berlin for World Sepsis Day:

When we arrived at the Brandenburg Gate, we found the team setting up chairs, 600 of them. They’re a visual display, not meant for sitting.

Fortunately, Ed brought his own seat.

So much going on – including the removal of a big pile of snow. I’m not sure what they were promoting, but apparently the time window for their permit had ended.

600 chairs, each one representing 300 people who had sepsis in the last year, just in Germany

1/3 of the sepsis patients do not survive or 60,000 people die from sepsis in Germany every year

Happily, 120,000 do survive every year. This woman has coreographed a dance about sepsis. It was performed at Hauptbahnof earlier in the day. She said they took all kinds of artistic people behind the scenes to see the research that’s being done and asked them to communicate via their medium about sepsis.

Ed chatting with another sepsis survivor. This frail, young man is recently released from the hospital. He became ill over a year ago! His sepsis resulted from a small scratch. He needed surgery, and actually had sepsis twice during this time. They’re making a documentary about his experience.

You know from my last post that my email request to Atelier Amaro was unsuccessful in securing a reservation. Ed called them the same day I sent my email. They put him on a waiting list and said they would let him know by 3 PM on the day we’d requested. My train arrived at 3:05, and as we were exiting main train station in Warsaw at 3:15, his phone rang. They would be able to fit us in.

The matre d’ told us that they liked to keep a small table open in case someone important, such as ourselves, called. I guess that was his way of saying that since big names such as Foreign Minister Sikorski and Anne Applebaum, Wills and Kate, or Brangelina, hadn’t called, we got to be their important people that evening because that’s the way they make everyone feel once you step in the door.

We arrived early. Ed had read online that many people have had trouble finding the restaurant. It’s in a park, but not where google maps puts it. It’s a small, red brick building that used to be public restrooms. Thanks to Ed’s map study, we found it more quickly than we had anticipated.

Atelier Amaro earned its first Michelin star earlier this year. They are the first restaurant in Poland to do so. Part of the Slow Food movement, their focus on local and seasonal means that the menu changes weekly – that’s right, 52 times a year. How do the waiters remember all of the complex dish descriptions? The most surprising element that week? Hay ash.

That’s right, hay burned to an ash, and processed to get just the right texture. Our waiter told us that took months of experimentation. It was baked into a black bread, made into little decorative stems placed on some courses that looked like fruit, and used as a plate garnish on some courses. Very surprising with an interesting taste. I can’t say the ash was delicious, but at the same time, I’m really glad that I can say I’ve had it and I would gladly eat these dishes again. The hay ash added to dishes that I can, without a doubt, describe as delicious. See, Mom, you were onto something with things that were “nice and brown” you just needed to take it to the next level!

Many of the ingredients struck me as traditionally Polish; they were just prepared in a modern way. The most impressive presentation for the night would have to go to the herring and preserved cucumber presented on a huge, two-inch thick, platter-sized slab of pink Himalayan salt with chive ice cream and some sort of berry jam.

I love the serving piece and the salty flavor it imparted. I guess the salt platter gets a little smaller every time it’s washed.

We both had their 8 course tasting menu. That sounds like a lot but each course consisted of about four small bites. Even though we had seen the menu with three words describing each course, there were still plenty of surprises. There were three amuse-bouches, seven courses, a pre-dessert, our final course, and then a couple of house-made truffles with our coffee and tea. You can see and read more about it on my food blog very soon.

Dining at such a restaurant is a real splurge for us – akin to seeing a Broadway play in NYC. It’s not something we would do regularly, but it was a marvelously memorable and entertaining evening.

Poznan has a long history hosting international trade fairs. Kielce, south and east of us, is also getting in on the business. Ed has been there this week for a military equipment trade fair. Lockheed Martin is marketing a new training jet, and he’s been with a team from the states offering demos in the simulator. I’ve read that Kielce’s exhibition hall is the most modern in Poland, but it seems like the event would have made more sense in Poznan. Everyone (other than the few living in Poland) flew into Warsaw and had a three hour drive to get to the town, and the hospitality industry in Kielce, a city of 200,000 didn’t offer many choices for lodging or dining.

Not the LM simulator

Kielce is in the middle of Polish “castle country.” The city came with warnings from Polish Air Force friends about the area being rougher than Poznan, and Trip Advisor mentioned very little in the things to do category, so I didn’t tag along. I can tell you, however, what Ed has found.

There is a statue of jazz great, Miles Davis, outside the cultural center. Somehow, Trip Advisor has missed this. This statue in Poland existed long before the one currently being planned for Davis’ birthplace.

For a small city, Kielce also has two fantastic Spanish restaurants, owned by the same family. One is more elegant, white table clothes, etc., the second a more informal tapas place. I think Ed has dined in one of these restaurants every night. They’re very popular. If you want to eat in the fancy one, make a reservation.

I’m catching the express train tomorrow to meet Ed in Warszawa. I’ve been reading online about Poland’s first Michelin starred restaurant (as of this year), so we’re hoping we can get a table. We’re still waiting to hear back from them. Lest you think we’re crazy, making the trip on the hope of a reservation, the restaurant is not the reason for our weekend near the capital. Ed has a golf lesson with a “stack and tilt” style teacher. That’s the real reason.

PS – in case you’re wondering, 2 days is not enough notice for Poland’s only Michelin starred restaurant. They need at least 10 days. We’ll be dining at Butchery and Wine, a Michelin best value restaurant.

Driving between Munich and Berlin, an interesting sight for me, are the hop fields. Hops are not a desert crop. I can spot cotton, but I wouldn’t know hops if there hadn’t been an exhibit with a sample planter of hops plants growing at the Stary Bowar shopping mall a couple of years ago. Once you’ve seen them, the tall trellis is a real giveaway. Germany is the world’s leading producer of this beer ingredient, but we do occasionally see them in Poznan climbing up a fence as in the photo below.

Seen along the river on today’s bike ride

Berlin was the last stop on our road trip with Lisa. She flew home from Tegel on Saturday and is already back at work and school. We’ve been to Berlin several times, and have another trip planned next month. Fortunately, the city has so much to offer that there’s always something new to do.

We were in Berlin for my birthday, so Ed suggested that we venture up to the top of the landmark TV tower. Built during communist times, the ball at the top reflects light in such a way, that when viewed at a distance, it forms the shape of a cross. That feature was unintentional and was referred to by some as the Pope’s revenge. The first tour guide we had in Berlin said that the tower was built with funds sent from the west meant for repairing churches damaged during WWII. I haven’t been able to confirm that last tidbit with a reliable source, like Wikipedia. 😉

Misappropriated funds or not, Ed had heard that there was a rotating restaurant up there in addition to the observation deck. The line had already formed when we arrived about 11 AM. After a 30 minute wait in line to buy tickets, we had to wait another hour before our group was called to go upstairs to the elevators, which quickly whisk you up 200 meters in less than a minute.

Last summer, we climbed to the top of the dome pictured above. At the time, it seemed like an amazing view of the city.

The Spree River loads with tour boats

Tomato Consomme with Basil Foam at the top of the tower

Not that our trip was all fine dining. You have to make time for a brat or curry wurst, and a visit to the Irish Pub, where the German staff speak English with an Irish accent.

I love the decorative manhole covers and have several cities in my photo collection

After a soggy day of castle sightseeing, we settled down in Munich for three days. Ed and I were there for a weekend last summer, but it was the first visit for Lisa. This is not to say that Lisa was the novice on our trip. We had some basic knowledge of sights to see and the layout of the city, but Lisa is the only one of us that knows more than 10 words in German. She minored in German at ASU and is now taking classes at the UofA towards a bachelor’s degree in German. It’s so nice to travel with someone who can read the signs!

We stayed in a hotel, just a couple of blocks from Marienplatz, the historic center square of Munich. The town hall with the famous glockenspiel (think life sized cuckoo clock) dominates with square. We didn’t time it right to see it chime. Apparently, it plays at 11 AM as well as noon and 5 PM in the summer.

Our hotel was even closer to the Haufbrauhaus (HB). Originally the royal brewery, the famous structure was a favorite location for Nazi party functions. Today, you’ll find the HB serving traditional Bavarian food, really good beer and oom-pah-pah music (the dream job of every trombone and tuba player). We had a meal there last summer with some of Ed’s flying buddies, and we went there this time for his birthday dinner. I guess it’s something you should do because of the historic significance of the place, but as a restaurant serving guests, they rest on their historic laurels. There is the distinct feeling that you’re a widget speeding down the assembly line. What?!! You’d like the green salad with just oil and vinegar? I don’t know if that can be done. I’d have to ask a manager. The kitchen is downstairs. They did deliver the salad requested but with so many theatrical excuses that it exhausted my patience.

Wearing a leopard print cardigan and pearls
while cycling through a huge park with my sweetie,
I felt a bit like Piggy and Kermit, auf Duetsch

While Lisa was checking out art museums, Ed and I rented bikes and spend 3 hours cycling through the English Garden. With our brief commute between Mike’s Bike Rental (very friendly helpful folks) and the garden, we found Munich to be a bicycle friendly community.

customers at the wine market can rest their glass on large wooden barrels inside or out, no chairs though

We also spent time at Viktualienmarkt, sort of a very grand farmers market, not far from Marienplatzz. We picked up some fruit and veg for our vegan traveling companion, and found a great garden shop. On the edge of the market we came across a wine market where they’ll also sell by the glass. We liked it some much that we went back a second time. Ed noticed that both times, we’d been the only tourists there. They had a steady stream of locals stopping by. The people watching was great.

We chatted with an old guy (in case you’re wondering, 10 years our senior is what will qualify for the old description, that may change) who had stopped by at noon for a glass of wine before he headed home with his market purchases. I’m guessing it was what his wife needed to prepare dinner. He said you’ll see more on this corner than you will in a year in other places. It seemed many people picked up a sandwich (we observed two kinds, herring and onion or smoked salmon, nothing that resembled a McFish) at the fish monger next door and enjoyed it with the glass of wine.

We also saw a group of three older ladies meeting for a chat and a glass of wine. One of the three was dressed in traditional clothes. Ed’s explanation was that her friends had played a joke on her. “Let’s tell Hildegard that we’re all going to wear our dirndls when we meet and we’ll trick her by wearing street clothes instead.” As the more literal of the two (and I’ll admit, the more boring), I assumed that “Hildegard” worked in one of the shops nearby where the dirndl was her uniform, and she was simply meeting them on her way home from work.

We left Munich with such good feeling about the city and Bavarian people in general. Berlin is the only other German city we’ve spent much time in and Munich comes off much more favorably in that comparison. We stopped to check a map as we were biking to the English Garden and a women cycling past stopped to ask if she could help us. She gave us directions, warned us about the 40 euro fine for cycling on wrong way on the bike path, and then doubled back a minute later when she remembered a tunnel that would be a good short cut for us – not something you’d find in the big city.

P.S. — just two final observations on Munich after my two brief stays:

pretzels – not just a snack, but the bread to accompany every meal

There always seems to be a little ceramic trash can on the breakfast table. Munich is the only place I’ve encounter this. Thankfully, we were having breakfast with an American family stationed in Germany the first time, so they knew what to do with it.